Expo 2020 Dubai: UAE, Jordan and Netherlands to host summit on water, energy and food security challenges

The UAE, Jordan and the Netherlands will jointly host a two-day summit during Expo 2020 Dubai that will focus on the issue of water, energy and food security.

The high profile ‘Water, Energy and Food Summit’ will be held in January 2022 to coincide with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

It will combine policy-making with practical solutions for water, energy and food challenges.

Among the pressing challenges that affect the availability of water, energy and food are climate change, a rising global population and increasing urbanisation.

Jordan, the UAE and the Netherlands share many water, energy and food security challenges

Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of State for Food Security

The world’s population is expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, making the management of natural resources ever more important.

“Jordan, the UAE and the Netherlands share many water, energy and food security challenges, so working together and sharing our knowledge and experiences in all three areas will enable us to draw on our collective expertise to deliver the best possible results,” said Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of State for Food Security.

“The high-level ‘Water, Energy and Food Summit’ is an essential component of Expo 2020 and will enable our respective countries to create a roadmap for pooling our resources and combining synergies to deliver more sustainable systems, not just for our three nations, but for the wider global community.”

In the lead-up to the summit, interactive youth roadshows in each of the three countries will explore challenges around water, energy and food security, the results of which will then be presented to world leaders during the event. In addition, youth ambassadors will be declared within the summit programme.

The summit is the first of its kind to focus on the regional and national policy steps needed to address these challenges in an integrated manner.

The collaboration will build on Expo 2020’s role as a global convener to spotlight the complex issues surrounding these three essential resources and highlight the need for collective action.

“The UAE is a living innovation lab for food production technologies in arid climates, and Expo 2020 Dubai – an unparalleled global gathering dedicated to delivering solutions to our most pressing challenges – presents the UAE, the Netherlands and Jordan with a timely opportunity to work together on developing and implementing innovative solutions that we can share with the world,” said Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation.

“This trilateral partnership also exemplifies our commitment to cross-border collaboration and our belief that through collective action, we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, resulting in a cleaner, safer and healthier future for all by 2030.”

During the conference, the Netherlands will initiate a research collaboration involving academic and research institutions from the three countries, which will be presented during the summit through interactive policy simulations and discussions.